1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image data inputting system for a print image processing apparatus which is capable of processing an input image signal in required stages and outputting the processed signal to printing device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Technical development of still print image processing apparatus is currently in progress, wherein a video signal (still image signal) of one frame obtained from a video source such as a television camera, video disk, still camera or the like is inputted to an image processor, which then processes the input image signal in various stages to generate a desired printable image signal, and such processed image signal is supplied to a printing device so as to be printed.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary image processing apparatus, wherein reference numeral 1 denotes an image signal output part for outputting a video signal (still image) of one frame from among the video signals obtained from a television camera or the like. The still image signal outputted in the form of, e.g. luminance signal (Y) and color difference signal (C) is fed to an image processor 2 and then is processed in compliance with commands inputted from a processing control console 2A. The image processing executed with regard to the inputted original still image signal includes noise reduction, luminance or chrominance control, image conversion (enlargement, reduction, rotation, image size change and so forth), and correction of the Y and C signals.
A printer 3 is supplied with the output signal of the image processor 2 which is in the form of to print signals of, e.g., four colors C, M, Y and K (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) after completion of the image processing stages, whereby the operation of printing a color image corresponding to the processed still image signal is executed.
When the above-described image conversion is performed in such print image processing apparatus, a picture arrangement is visually represented, as illustrated in FIG. 8, on a control display of the processing control console 2A for setting and inputting characteristics of the image to be printed (hereinafter process values) such as a print image size (input display portion a), an enlargement rate (input display portion b), a scanning line density (input display portion c), a picture center position (input display portion d), and a rotation angle (input display portion e). Image conversion is executed in the image processor 2 in accordance with a set of desired process values inputted by an operator.
For example, when a print image size is specified with respect to an image signal of FIG. 9(a) (by inputting numerical values to the input display portions a), a height process value h (mm) and a width process value w (mm) are inputted. Then an operation is performed for changing the image size to h.times.w, as illustrated in FIG. 9(b), i.e., for converting the image signal, which is inputted in obliquely-hatched area, to a margin signal (Y and C signal at white level or a no-signal state). In addition to such image size conversion, other operations for enlargement, rotation and so forth are also performed whereby the inputted original image signal can be converted to a desired image suited to be printed.
In the image size conversion mentioned above, it is customary that the numerical values are inputted with dimensional units of millimeters (mm) as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9.
Meanwhile, dimensional systems used generally for an image size in the printing industry include units such as point and pica in addition to millimeters. In addition, in the printing industry, there are some foreign countries where dimensional units of inches are used as well. Such dimensional units have the relationship to one another of 1 (inch)=25.4 (mm)=6 (picas)=72 (points).
Accordingly, in execution of such image processing operation, there frequently occur occasions where the print image size and other characteristics are specified by the use of some other dimensional unit than millimeters. Consequently, it is a disadvantage that the operator needs to convert such other unit to millimeters by means of a calculator or the like each time before inputting a process value. Further, at the time of such numerical conversion, an erroneous input is likely to be provided by some mistake in the calculation.